NWF Daily News – An effort to relieve greyhound track owners of regulations requiring them to throw money at a losing venture failed in Tallahassee this legislative session. So too did an attempt to better protect the animals at Northwest Florida’s Ebro facility and the state’s 11 other racing parks.
State Sen. President Don Gaetz was disappointed in the failure of the animal welfare bills, but said efforts to clean up greyhound racing could be considered again if a special session is called to discuss gaming issues.
“The governor is shopping right now the idea of a special session dealing with gaming, and particularly the Seminole Compact,” he said.
Florida leaders are negotiating a new contract regarding gaming issues with the Seminole Tribe, Gaetz, R-Niceville, said.
If the contract is finalized, and Gaetz said the parties appear close to agreement, Gov. Rick Scott may call lawmakers back to Tallahassee, possibly as soon as May, to consider gaming legislation.
Were that to happen, everything in the realm of Florida gambling would be reopened for discussion.
Lawmakers failed during the session to “decouple” greyhound racing from track-operated poker rooms and also couldn’t get support to require mandatory reporting of injuries to racing dogs.
